As businesses advance their net zero plans, one thing is becoming clear, it is their workforce that distinguishes the frontrunners. Whether you are responsible for energy, sustainability, HR, or organisational strategy, your people are the engine that will drive meaningful change.
Sam Arje, Senior Energy Consultant and EnCO Practitioner here at TEAM Energy, explains why empowering employees through energy efficiency training is one of the most effective ways for businesses to reduce consumption, cut emissions, and build long-term resilience.
The workforce challenge at the heart of net zero
Across leadership teams there is widespread recognition that net zero requires a fundamental shift in how organisations operate. Many leaders are already tackling internal challenges whilst also trying to develop their teams’ skills.
But the real opportunity lies in bringing these functions together. Energy efficiency training creates a shared understanding and a shared purpose by uniting strategic goals with day‑to‑day behaviours. When a business’ workforce is equipped and engaged, the path to net zero becomes more accessible.
Why businesses need employees on their side
Attitudes around sustainability have shifted dramatically in the past decade. Research from PwC shows most CEOs now view sustainability as an investment, not a cost, and many are already seeing revenue benefits from climate‑related measures.
However, desire doesn’t automatically translate into action.
- Employees don’t know what actions reduce energy use
- People don’t understand why change is needed
- Workforce resistance slows down strategic initiatives.
This knowledge gap can be a risk to the business achieving its carbon reduction targets. Publicly available compliance plans and net zero commitments mean employees, clients, and future recruits can easily judge whether an organisation is genuinely committed.
In an era of widening green skills gaps, people are voting with their feet. Deloitte reports that two in ten millennials and Gen Z have already left roles for more sustainable employers, with many more planning to follow. A knowledgeable, sustainability‑literate workforce therefore becomes a competitive advantage help you to not only reach net zero but also attract and retain talent.
How Energy Efficiency Training can help your business succeed
Energy efficiency training equips staff with the understanding and behaviours needed to reduce energy use and waste. What makes energy efficiency training most effective is that it should be created as a best-fit for the organisation in question. This could be through bespoke consultancy, or through train-the-trainer programmes.
Energy efficiency training must be suitable for the staff it is being presented to. It must meet people where they’re at, based on their role and existing knowledge and must be relevant to people’s daily work and their place within organisation at large. What works for machinists is quite different to what works for university librarians or accountants, for example.
I like to think of the situation like a wedding reception. At the start of the evening, nobody’s on the dancefloor. But, once the speeches are done and the married couple have their first dance, other people start to join in. Over the course of the night the DJ plays everyone’s favourite songs to attract a crowd, and eventually there’s only a handful of outliers sat around the edges. What was ‘normal’ has changed; everyone’s dancing.
With energy efficiency training, what was once hardly considered is now ‘just what we do here’. That shift in an organisation’s culture can have a significant impact on a business’ targets whether it be to save energy or reduce emissions.
By supporting your staff in their learning, you can also begin hitting your sustainability targets and enhance your reputation as an employer along the way.